Transcript Cordillera REgion

Cordillera Region
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5VhKe
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Where is the Cordillera Region
located? What is its climate?
The Cordillera Region includes British Columbia, the Yukon,
and parts of Alberta and the Northwest Territories. The
Pacific Ocean, found along the western coast of this region,
bathes the area in warm moist air. Great mountains soar out
of the plains area to the east. Moist air from the Pacific is
forced to rise over the huge Rocky Mountains. The air cools
as it rises and dumps its precipitation on the western slopes.
The area between the Coast Mountains and the Columbia
Mountains is known as the interior plateau. This region, in
the valleys between the mountains, is flat and gets much less
rain or snow than the western side of the mountains.
Summers here can be scorching!
The climate of the Cordillera is varied, being cool and rainy in
the south and colder in the north.
Many large rivers flow through
this region. The swiftest and
largest of these rivers is called the
Fraser. The Fraser River has a
long journey from its beginning or
source in the Rocky Mountains
through the interior plain and
Coast Mountains, to the Pacific
Ocean. Sediment carried by the
moving water, has been deposited
at the mouth of the river. Over
thousands of years, the Fraser
River has left its sediment for
form flat land or a delta at its
mouth. The city of Vancouver and
surrounding suburbs have been
built on this large delta. The soil
is excellent for farming.
What are the
resources of the
Cordillera
Region?
In the southern part of the
Cordillera Region, there are two
giant hydroelectric dams. Other
natural resources in this area
include mining gold, copper,
asbestos, gravel, silver, zinc and
lead. Minerals mined in the
Cordillera Region are sold all
over the world
The Cordillera Region is best known for
its forestry. Softwood from the many
coniferous trees is used to make pulp
and paper products. The thickest
forests in Canada, found in the
Cordillera Region, are used to make
paper, plywood, furniture and
cardboard. Forests can be re-grown, so
they are known as renewable
resources.
Vancouver Island’s west coast has the
oldest and tallest trees in Canada.
Western Cedar trees that are 1300 years
old can be found here. The oldest tree
in Canada is found her, a Skia, which is
95 metres tall. This area gets the most
rain of the Cordillera Region, making it
a rain forest climate of moist, warm air.
The Pacific Ocean and the rivers and lakes in the Cordillera
make this region a prime area for fishing salmon, and other
kinds of fish. Salmon is an important resources in this area,
and disputes have raged over the rights of various groups to
fish these salmon.